Automobile heater



Nov. 5, 1935. w. BARHQFF I 2,019,646

AUTOMOBILE HEATER Filed April 2, 1935 Patented Nov. 5, 1935 UNITED STATES PVIATENT- OFFICE.

- AUTOMOBILE HEATER.

Fred W. Bar-huff, Hartford, Conn.

Application April 2, 1935, Serial No. 14,219

7 Claims. (Cl. 126-96) This inventioncontemplates the production of a portable heater utilizing oil fuel which is more especially designed for keeping the temperature in and about automobile engines stored in an unheated garage in cold weather, sufficiently high to ensure the quick starting of the engine.

The object of the invention is to construct a simple and inexpensive heater that may be used for the purpose mentioned without danger of fire or explosion from leaking gasoline or explosive fumes. To this end the structure comprises a novel combination of elements which will produce the intense heat of a Bunsen burner, and will at the same time have the safety or nonexplosive characteristics of a Davy lamp.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 shows a side elevation of a heater that embodies the invention. a

Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the same.

Fig. 3 is a face view of the fuel filling and air regulating stopper.

Fig. 4 is a transversesection on the plane indicated by the dotted line 4-4 on Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section on larger scale, gill plane indicated by the dotted line 5- -5 on The reservoir i is made of sheet metal of a size that will hold the required amount of fuel and of a shape that permits it to be placed under the hood of or below the engine to be kept warm. Near the top the reservoir has a stopper 2 that may be removed for supplying the reservoir with fuel. The stopper has an air vent 3 and an adiustable disk 4 with a vent 5, the relation 01' which vents may be regulated to control the amount of air that will pass into the reservoir. Inside of the stopper is a fine mesh wire gauze flame obstruction screen 6. The reservoir has feet 1 that will raise the bottom above any surface on which it is placed, and allow a circulation of air beneath. Extending up from the bottom of the reservoir is a draft tube ll.v This tube opens through the bottom of the reservoir and is provided with a fine mesh fiame obstructing gauze 9.

In the upper end of the drai't tube is a bushing Ill of heat insulating material and held by this bushing is a perforated sleeve II that on top has a closed cover I2. Surrounding the tube is a. tubular wick l3 of the usual fabric. The wick is capable of being raised and lowered by vertical arms I4 secured to a band l5 to which is fas- H tened the rod I6 that extends upward through the the reservoir.

radially outward.

nular plate I! with an external flange I8 and internal flange I9. An annular sheet of heat insulating material 20 is inserted between the plate and the upper surface of the reservoir so as to impede the fiow of heat from the former to the latter. A tube 2| with solid walls is secured to theinternal flange 19. The lower end of this tube extends into the reservoir and the upper end which is above the upper end of the wick is extended by a perforated sleeve 22. The space between the tube 2I and the wick I3 is divided into a plural number of vertical channels 23 by means of a corrugated ring 24 that is secured to the inner wall of the tube. The lower end of this ring extends into the reservoir and the upper end terminates above the top of the wick.

A foraminous housing 25 made of fine mesh flame obstructing 'wire gauze, surrounded and protected by a tubular metallic shield 26 with perforated walls, is supported by the external flange I8 on the plate l1 secured to the top of A disk 21 may be attached by arms 28 to the shield a little distance above the top'of said housing so as to deflect rising heat The filling stopper is removed, a supply of fuel is furnished the reservoir, the stopper is returned, and the wick, which by capillary attraction draws up a supply of fuel, is lighted. As the flame heats the adjacent metallic parts, an up- 30 ward draft of air is induced through the central tube 8 and upper perforated sleeve ll, being deflected from this sleeve through the perforations by the cover l2 at the top. At the same time air is drawn in through the vents in the filling stopper 2, which air owing to the corrugated ring is ejected as a plurality of jets above the top of the wick. The amount of the air which forms these jets is controlled by regulating the relation of the air vents in the filling plug. When the 40 heat becomes sufficient to vaporize the fuel these jets mingle with the vapor so that flame is pro duced above the upper end of the wick and the annular space 29, between the perforated sleeves II and 22, which flame, consuming the carbon .46 of decomposing gases before it' becomes incandescent, generates a very high temperature. The hot products of combustion pass out from the space 30 through the foraminous housing, being directed sidewise by the deflecting disk 21 over the housing which allows the escape of heat but obstructs the passage of any flame. All of the inlets and outlets are protected by Davy gauze screens, and as a result of the insulation mentioned the reservoir is separated from the heated parts in such manner that its temperature will not become dangerously high. The upper end of the wick being below the locality where the air jets enter through the corrugations the wick itself is not burned, only being subjected to flame when first ignited. By adjusting the air supply to the vaporizing chamber of the burner the force of the air jets which mingle with the fuel vapor in the vaporizing chamber can be accurately regulated so that all flame will be above the vaporizing chamber. After the wick is lighted and the housing and shield are placed in position it is impossible for flame to reach any explosive gases which may be in the surrounding atmosphere.

The invention claimed is:

1. A portable heater comprising a fuel reservoir, a tubular wick extending upwardly from said reservoir, a draft tube within said wick and extending through said reservoir, the upper end of said draft tube opening above the upper end of the wick and the lower end of said draft tube opening through the bottom of the reservoir, fine mesh wire gauze obstructing the opening in said draft tube near the lower end of the tube, a burner tube surrounding the wick, said burner tube having a plurality of air channels around the exterior of the wick extending from above the normal fuel level within the reservoir to a point adjacent the upper end of the wick, means for supplying air to said reservoir whereby jets of air will flow up around the exterior of the wick through said channels and support fuel combustion in a space above the upper end of the wick, and a housing of fine mesh wire gauze enclosing the said combustion space to obstruct the passage therethrough of any flame existing 'in said space. I

2. A portable heater comprising a fuel reservoir, a tubular wick extending upwardly from said reservoir, a draft tube within said wick and extending through said reservoir, the upper end of said draft tube opening above the upper end of the wick and the lower end of said draft tube opening through the bottom of the reservoir, fine mesh wire gauze obstructing the opening in said draft tube near the lower end of the tube,,a burner tube surrounding the wick, said burner tube having a plurality of air channels around the exterior of the wick extending from above the normal fuel level within the reservoir to a point adjacent the upper end of the wick, adjustable air vents for supplying air to said reservoir whereby controlled jets of air will flow up around the extgarior of the wick through said channels and support fuel combustion in a space above the upper end of the wick, and a housing of fine mesh wire gauze enclosing the said combustion space to obstruct the passage therethrough of any flame existing in said space.

3. A portable heater comprising a fuel reservoir, a tubular wick extending upwardly from said reservoir, a draft tube within said wickand extending through said reservoir, the upper end of said draft tube opening above the upper end of the wick and the lower end of said draft tube opening through the bottom of the reservoir, fine mesh wire gauze obstructing theopening in said draft tube near the lower end of the tube, a. burner tube surrounding ,.the wick, said burner,-

tube having a plurality of air channels around the exterior of the wick extending fromabove the normal fuel level within the reservoir to a point adjacent the upper end of the wick, means for supplying air to said reservoir whereby jets of air will flow up around the exterior of the Wick through said channels and support fuel combustion in a space above the upper end of the wick, a housing of fine mesh wire gauze enclosing the said combustion space to obstruct the passage therethrough of any flame existing in said space, and a reticular shield protecting said housing.

4. A portable heater comprising a fuel reservoir, a tubular wick extending upwardly from said reservoir, a draft tube within said wick and extending through said reservoir, said draft tube having a foraminated end above the upper end of the wick and having its lower end opening through the bottom of the reservoir, fine mesh wire gauze obstructing the opening in said draft tube near the lower end of the tube, a burner tube surrounding the wick, said burner tube having a plurality of air channels around the exterior of the wick extending from above the normal fuel level within the reservoir, to a point 20 adjacent the upper end of the wick, means for supplying air to said reservoir whereby jets of air will flow up around the exterior of the wick through said channels and support fuel combustion in a space above the upper end of the wick, 25 and a housing of fine mesh wire gauze enclosing the said combustion space to obstruct the passage therethrough of any flame existing 1 said space.

5. A portable heater comprising a fuel reser- 80 voir, a tubular wick extending upwardly from said reservoir, a draft tube within said wick and extending through said reservoir, the upper end of said draft tube opening above the upper end of the wick and the lower end of said draft tube 85 opening through the bottom of the reservoir, fine mesh wire gauze obstructing the opening in said draft tube near the lower end of the tube, a burner tube surrounding the wick, said burner tube having a foraminated upper end and a (.0 plurality of air channels around the exterior of the wick extending from above the normal fuel .level within the reservoir to a point adjacent the upper end of the wick, means for supplying air to said reservoir whereby jets of air will flow up around the exterior of the wick through said channels and support fuel combustion in a space above the upper end of the wick, and a housing of fine mesh wire gauze enclosing the said combustion space to obstruct the passage therethrough of any flame existing in said space.

6. A portable heater comprising a fuel reservoir, a tubular wick extending upwardly from said reservoir, a draft tube within said wick and extending through said reservoir, said draft tube 5 having a foraminated end above the upper end of the wick and having its lower end opening through the bottom of the reservoir, fine mesh wire gauze obstructing the opening in said draft tube near the lower end of the tube, a burner tube surrounding the wick, said burner tube having a foraminated upper end and a plurality of air channels around the exterior of the wick extending from above the normal fuel level within the reservoir to a point adjacent the upper 05 end of the wick, means for supplying air to said reservoir whereby jets of air will flow up around the exterior of the wick through said channels and support fuel combustion in a space above the upper end of the wick, and a housing of fine mesh wire gauze enclosing the said combustion space to obstruct the passage therethrough of any flame existing in said space.

7. A portable heater comprising a fuel reservoir, a tubular wick extending upwardly from said reservoir, a draft tube within said wick and extending through said reservoir, the upper end of said draft tube opening above the upper end of the wick and the lower end of said draft tube opening through the bottom of the reservoir, fine mesh wire gauze obstructing the opening in said draft tube near the lower end of the tube, a burner tube surrounding the wick, a corrugated ring in said burner tube and providing a plurality of air channels around the exterior of the wick extending from above the normal fuel level with in the reservoir to a point adjacent the upper end of the wick, means for supplying airto said reservoir whereby jets of air will flow up around the exterior of the wick through said channels and support fuel combustion in a space above the upper end oi.' the wick, and a housing of fine mesh wire gauze enclosing the said combustion space to obstruct the passage therethrough of any flame existing in said space.

FRED W. BARHOFF. 

